Executive Team
Our executive team is responsible for the administration and management of the State Bar of Texas. This includes providing day-to-day oversight of the State Bar and its operations, professional services to members of the State Bar, services to the public, long-range strategic planning, and assistance to the courts regarding the administration of justice.
Trey Apffel, Executive Director
E.A. “Trey” Apffel III
became executive director of the State Bar of Texas in December 2017. A
longtime Galveston County trial lawyer, he previously was the
owner and principal of the Apffel Law Firm in League City, where he
focused on personal injury litigation, toxic torts, medical
malpractice, and family law. He is certified in both civil trial
law and personal injury trial law by the Texas Board of Legal
Specialization. Apffel has served as State Bar of Texas president
(2014-2015), on the State Bar Board of Directors, and as a member of the
board’s Executive Committee. He is a former member of the
Commission for Lawyer Discipline, a member of the Texas Bar College, a
Texas Bar Foundation Life Fellow, and served on the Texas Bar
Foundation Board of Trustees.
KaLyn Laney
KaLyn Laney serves the bar as deputy executive
director. Since joining the bar in 1990, she has served as director of
governmental relations, director of member and public service, and in
various other roles. Professionally, Laney is active in the National
Association of Bar Executives, where she has served as chair of the
Governmental Relations Section and chair of the Membership Committee.
Additionally, Laney is an active community volunteer, having served as
president of the Junior League of Austin and as a national board member
of the Texas Tech Alumni Association. She is currently serving as
immediate past president of the Settlement Home for Children and on the
board of directors of Rodeo Austin.
Lowell Brown
Lowell Brown is the associate deputy director and communications
director for the State Bar of Texas and the executive editor of the
Texas Bar Journal. He
previously worked as a reporter and editor at daily newspapers in
Central Texas and the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where his work earned
state and national awards. He holds a bachelor’s and
master’s degree in journalism from the University of North Texas
and is a 2016 graduate of the Governor’s Executive Development
Program at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of
Texas
at Austin. He is a member of NABE: The Association for Bar
Professionals and currently serves as immediate past chair of the NABE
Communications Section.
Amy Turner
Amy Turner serves as the associate deputy director and the human
resources director. Since joining the State Bar in 2000, she has served
in various positions within Human Resources. Turner holds a
bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from Texas A&M
University and an MBA from Texas State University. She is a 2013
graduate of the Governor’s Executive Development Program. Turner
earned her Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification in 2007.
She is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management Association
and serves on the State Agency Council. Prior to beginning her career
with the State Bar, Turner was a middle school educator.
Chris Ritter
Chris Ritter
is the chief legal counsel for the State Bar of Texas. He graduated
magna cum laude from Baylor University in 1994 with a B.A.
political science and philosophy. After getting his juris doctorate from
the University of Texas School of Law in 1998, he was a civil trial
lawyer for over 15 years. He handled complex litigation for governmental
entities, personal injury litigation, business litigation, and served as
counsel to government officials. Chris has been recognized for his legal
accomplishments, including receiving multiple State Bar of Texas
Presidential Citations, the TexasBarCLE Standing Ovation Award, and
being named a Texas Monthly Super Lawyers’ Rising Star multiple years.
He previously served as the director of the State Bar’s Texas Lawyers’
Assistance Program and has a Master of Education degree in clinical
mental health counseling from Lamar University.
The executive director publishes a monthly Texas Bar Journal column about the activities of the State Bar and its many departments and programs.